David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Apologies have been received from Deputies Anne Ferris and Niall Collins and Senator Denis O'Donovan. The purpose of this part of the meeting is to receive a briefing from the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner, ORAC, and the Irish Nationalisation and Immigration Service, INIS. On behalf of the committee, I welcome Mr. David Costello, the Refugee Applications Commissioner, and Mr. Michael Kirranne, acting director general of INIS, along with Mr. Kevin O'Sullivan and Mr. John Roycroft. I thank the witnesses for being here.

The format of the meeting is that I will invite the witnesses to make an opening statement of approximately five minutes, to be followed by a question and answer session with members of the committee. Rather than having an omnibus series of questions, we will take answers immediately after questions.

Before we begin, I have to draw the attention of witnesses to the situation on privilege. I ask them to note that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to so do, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given. They are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Members should be aware that under the salient rulings of the Chair, they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the House or an official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. I ask Mr. Kirrane to make his opening statement.